Show review- 10/29/09

Bands: Finch. Blessthefall. Vanna. Drop Dead Gorgeous. Let's Get It!, locals.

Location: Hollis, New Hampshire

It had been a few months since I had gone to a hardcore show. This show reminded as to why. Back in my day shows were filled with guys in skinny jeans, Bury Your Dead t-shirts, camo shorts, and X's all over their bodies. Now it's nothing but drunken 15 year old scene girls with more hair dye and make up than one should ever use in one life span. Not that I mind that, just wish they would put out.

The show had the five bands on the Atticus Tour and three local bands. Didn't really pay much mind to the local bands, but Shot Heard Around The World is definitely worth checking out. Good guys, dated the merch girl when I was in high school. I hadn't seen them since the time that I was going out with said merch girl, and they've really stepped it up in the past few years.

Let's Get It!-

Self described on stage as a "pop band that your girlfriend listens to." Sorry, don't have a girlfriend, and if I did I think even she would have more testosterone than these guys. The whole "tough guys wear pink" thing stopped being cool what seems like decades ago, if it ever was cool in the first place.

Not to say that there's anything wrong with pop punk, these guys just lacked heart in there music. Their lyrics and demeanor seem to be driven on them thinking that they can get girls by wearing pink t-shirts and Nike dunks, rather then, you know, something real. They're completely based upon aesthetics rather then meaning. Not for me.

Vanna-

This was the first time that I've seen them with the new singer, who I knew back when he was in Always & Forever, where he also wasn't the original singer. Once he entered A&F he brought with him a complete new sound from what they had in the past. It ended up being a very positive change, but I was still hesitant about him joining Vanna. I'm a creature of habit and I don't like my music to change. But I have to say, I was very impressed with his performance, and Vanna tore shit up like usual. With the exception of a few songs, they primarily played off their newest album "A New Hope". I sort of wish they played more off of Search Party and Curses, but the played the best songs off of each of them, so no complaints.

Drop Dead, Gorgeous-

No thanks, I'll pass.

Blessthefall-

I had always been told how good Blessthefall is. Never believed and never really cared to take the time to possibly think otherwise. And I have to say that when they first came on and the singer was using a disgusting amount of reverb I felt a certain sense of self accomplishment by not being like the rest of my friends by listening to them. But the more they played the more the self loathing took hold of the self accomplishment. These guys put on a really intense show. Not going to admit to anyone that I like them, but I will illegally download their new cd, Witness. Which I believe is a MLIW ripoff, right?

Finch-

I've been listening to Finch since I was about 13 or 14. And, now, 6 or 7 years old they give me the same feeling as they did back then. You know those bands that just give you a sense of calmness and that everything is alright when you listen to them? That feeling.

About half the crowd left the hall after Blessthefall, mostly because most of them were 15 or younger and probably had a 10 o'clock curfew. Whatever, they're probably too young to even know who Finch is. To hell with them.

The small crowd that remained was all that was needed. All forty or so of us sang along with Nate Barcalow, who had an emotionally driven set that is rarely ever seen from any band, word for word (except for that one song that nobody seemed to know. Still trying to figure out what it was.) They played approximately half of What It Is To Burn and it was amazing. They came back out for an encore and played Stay With Me, which I believe is the best song Finch has ever written. They also promised to play Ender, but that never happened. Fuck that, I would have gladly stuck around for the extra 13 minutes to hear them play it.